5 Free Yet Best WordPress Site Search Plugins

The fact that WordPress as a content management system has been widely and successfully used by individuals and businesses all around the world, there is also another fact that WordPress’ default search isn’t that great and workable due to various reasons. A large part of this is probably due to its failure to rank the results based on relevancy as they are more based on the date and therefore shows you outdated results. Another part is its inability to search everything that could be searched easily such as tags, comments etc.

However, online players can easily solve this problem if they add some reliable, easy-to-use plugins on their WordPress based website. These plugins will not only pull your website to bag the top position, but also make it even more interactive and usable.

So, here’s the list powerful WordPress plugins that you can install which will help your business grow:

1. Relevanssi

The Relevanssi plugin for WordPress provide solid results when it comes to improving a site’s search. It’s an ideal solution for replacing WordPress’ default search feature. The plugin is absolutely free and comes complete with a number of configurable settings that gives user ability to highlight and keep the logos of the search term.

Besides this, Relevanssi also performs some other fantastic functions such as:

It displays results based on relevance and not on date.

Exact match searching with quotation marks.

Can be set up easily by using the OR or the AND query, which means results either can match one word in a multi-word search, or you can forcibly match it with all words coming under searching phase.

Can search comments, tags, categories and custom fields as well along with posts and pages.

Determines the weight of each and every element, such as Titles should carry X amount weight, Tags should have Y amount of weight and a lot more.

2. Better Search

The Better Search plugin for WordPress adds more value and relevance to your search by giving weights and values to titles, content regardless of the date published. You can also adjust the weight further as per your requirements.

Better search gives you perfect results by providing you amazing templates, which can be integrated with your blog template. In addition to this, the plugin will keep a track of searches and let you present a “search heatmap” for the most popular searches.

3. WP Search

WP Search plugin helps you instantly improve your website’s search based on your content as it effectively replaces the WordPress’ default search. It takes the advantage of your existing search results template for endless customization. Its advanced settings and features automatically updates the index, tags and comments.

Some other features include:

Multiple search engines.

Extend the functionality of your website with unlimited number of extensions.

It provides owners with a search statistic which give them an insight of their visitor patterns.

4. Dave’s WordPress Live Search

Dave WordPress Live Search adds “live search” functionality to your WordPress based website. When users type any word into your website’s search box, it provides them with a range a possible outcomes related to that search.

Dave’s “live search technique” means people will find instant results of what they are searching even before they have finished typing. It not only saves their time but also helps them get quick answers to their queries.

Its additional features include:

Added hooks and filters.

Multiple search support.

Click anywhere on the results.

WP E-commerce is officially supported.

5. Swiftype Search

Swiftype Search is actually a service which you use on your WordPress based site. The service is presently available in public beta, and up to that period, it is free. However, WordPress plugin developers saying that when it comes out of beta, the plugin will follow a price mechanism where the cost of your search engine will be in proportion to the amount of traffic it generates.

Here are some highlighting features of Swiftype Search:

Auto-complete (as users type the word it will give them a list of suggestions).

Remove pages from the index.

Drag and drop search results.

Keep a track of searches and display results in the form of statistics.

Conclusion:

The purpose behind installing any plugin is to make your website accessible to a wider range of audience. The motive is to show accurate search results that users are searching for. So, one should choose a plugin which not only gives users a reliable online experience but also gives businesses a peace of mind by making their website a best platform to navigate through.